BLUFFTON -- History was made Wednesday night inside the Cove as USCB clinched its first-ever PBC Tournament victory with a 62-57 triumph over Lander in front of an energetic, sold-out crowd. The Sand Sharks built an early lead and held off a strong surge from the Bearcats to seal the win.
Only two Sand Sharks scored in double figures, with team leader Kenney Gaines delivering an all-around performance—posting 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and two steals. Freshman Dominic Eason contributed 11 points and five rebounds.
The game opened with a defensive battle as both teams struggled to find their rhythm early. Over the next few possessions, they traded baskets, with Gaines hitting a jumper in the paint to keep pace. Kevaughn Price then connected on a three-pointer to give the Sand Sharks their first lead at 6-3. After Lander reclaimed the lead, Kyle Polce drained a three-pointer off a pass from Gaines, putting USCB ahead by one at the 16-minute mark. Eason then provided a spark offensively, securing a defensive board and converting on the other end with to extend the lead to 23-19. Moments later, he struck again this time from beyond the arc, pushing the lead to seven and forcing Lander to call a timeout.
Gaines sent shockwaves through the Cove, sending the Frenzy into overdrive with an electrifying fast-break slam dunk. After Alejandro Ralat picked off a Lander pass near midcourt, he pushed the ball ahead to Gaines, who soared in for a powerful one-handed jam. The dunk not only brought the fans to their feet but also gave USCB a crucial momentum boost, extending their lead and forcing another Lander timeout. The Sand Sharks carried a seven-point lead into the break.
Midway through the second half, Eason ignited the Sand Shark faithful with back-to-back three-pointers, extending the lead to a game-high 17 points. His sharpshooting shifted the momentum squarely in favor of USCB. The first three came off a crisp pass from Gaines, and after a defensive stop, Eason found himself open again, calmly sinking another deep shot to push the lead to 47-30.
Lander, however, responded with a furious 15-1 run, attacking the basket aggressively and forcing USCB into a series of turnovers. Lander's Inady Legiste and Noah Dunn combined for several key inside baskets, while Torrin Andrews knocked down a crucial three-pointer to bring the deficit to single digits.
USCB's momentary offensive stall allowed the Bearcats to tighten the gap to three after Dunn's deep three-pointer made it 58-55. With under a minute remaining, Lander had a foul to give, but in a surprising decision, opted not to use it immediately. This allowed Beaufort to drain valuable seconds off the clock before Gaines was eventually fouled with just seconds remaining. He was pure from the charity stripe, extending the lead to two possessions and putting the game out of reach for Lander.
With the victory, the No. 4 Sand Sharks advance to the PBC semifinals against top-seeded Columbus State. CSU took both games against USCB this season and is currently ranked sixth in the country. The semifinals will be played in Columbus on Saturday, with a tipoff time still to be determined.
